Editorial: School, college bonds: No

2012-09-05 15:56:15

One of the great missteps in recent California politics was Proposition 39 in 2000. Voters narrowly passed it, 53 percent to 47 percent; it dropped the approval threshold for local school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent.

In our editorials that year, we warned that Prop. 39 would spawn a plethora of questionable new bonds that taxpayers couldn't afford. For one thing, the two-thirds requirement made sure that school boards, which put bond measures on the ballot, would be more prudent in trying to tap the taxpayers for more. Although Prop. 39 also required tighter accounting requirements for the 55 percent bonds and citizen oversight committees, for us, those requirements weren't adequate.

Another problem is that these elections usually receive strong funding from the powerful unions of public school teachers and other school workers. Taxpayer forces sometimes are not organized enough even to provide an opposition argument in the voter guide. And too-few communities have a taxpayer-friendly newspaper to examine bond measures and make recommendations.

If school districts really need these bonds, we have contended, they still should opt to seek the former two-thirds supermajority, which they are allowed to do under Prop. 39. But on Orange County's Nov. 6 ballot, six school bonds are up for approval, each subject to only 55 percent approval. Most of these bonds even use the same descriptions for what will be built, a cookie-cutter approach to something that should be more tailored to each district.

Shockingly, of the four community-college districts in Orange County, two are demanding more money from taxpayers. The other four bond measures are for K-12 schools.

These new bonds follow two bonds on the June ballot: Measure G, $28.75 million for Savanna Elementary School District, barely clearing the 55 percent bar with 58.5 percent of the vote. Losing was Measure E, $54 million in bonds for construction for the Brea Olinda Unified School District.

Moreover, taxpayers collectively would be hit with massive new taxes if they approve Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 in November. Federal taxes also could jump up Jan. 1, depending on election outcomes and negotiations in Congress over extending various federal tax cuts. When will the tax-increase storm relent?

With the U.S., state and local economies underperforming, this is no time for piling more burdens on taxpayers. Better is a "pay as you go" system.

Here are the six new bonds, for all of which we recommend No votes. The project quotes come from the ballot statements voters will read. The median home-price approximations come from Zillow.com. Cities covered are included where not obvious.

Measure M: Coast Community College District. Although students may come from elsewhere, the district covers homes in Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Westminster, Garden Grove, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

This is $698 million in bonds to "be used to improve, renovate and construct facilities at Coastline Community College, Golden West College and Orange Coast College, including constructing and upgrading classrooms, laboratories and job training facilities."

The tax to repay the bonds would be about $90 a year for a home with the area's median price of about $500,000, or $215 a year for a home with Newport Beach's median price of $1.2 million. Vote No.

Measure N: Fountain Valley School District. This is $23.5 million in bonds "for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities ... or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities."

The tax would be about $72 a year for a home with Fountain Valley's median price of about $500,000. Vote No.

Measure O: La Habra City School District. This is $31 million in bonds "for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities ... or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities."

The tax would be about $16.65 a year for a home with La Habra's median price of about $333,000. Vote No.

Measure P: Ocean View School District. The district includes students from Huntington Beach, Westminster, Fountain Valley and Midway City. This is $198 million in bonds "for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities ... or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities."

The tax would be about $135 for a home with the area's median price of $500,000. Vote No.

Measure Q: Rancho Santiago Community College District. Schools include Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College. Although students may come from elsewhere, the district covers homes in Orange, Villa Park, Santa Ana, Anaheim Hills, Garden Grove, Tustin and Irvine.

This is $198 million in bonds "for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities ... or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities."

The tax would be about $66 for a home with Santa Ana's median price of $298,000; or $112 for a home with Anaheim Hills' median price of $513,000. Vote No.

Measure S: Tustin Unified School District. This is $135 million in bonds "for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities ... or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities." The tax would be about $86 for a home with Tustin's median price of $453,000. Vote No.